Fairleader



Aug. 25, l1953 M. D TROYER 2,650,066

FAIRLEADER Filed Dec. 26, 195o l 27 INVENTOR.

MARC D T/QoYEfz TTOENEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED STAT Application December 26, 1950, Serial No. 202,739

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This invention relates to fairlea'ders, and it 'has reference 'more particularly to fairleaders as applied to the outer ends of swinging booms as used for the handling 4of buckets, grapples, shovels, and the like, where two lines or cables are employed and where both cables extend to the bucket or grapple through the 'farleaden It is the principal object of this invention to provide a fairleader through which a load line is passed for the lifting of the grapple, bucket or other device being handled, along with a closing line 'for controlling the 'closing and opening rof the grapple; the fairleader housing being rotatably `mounted and adapted to automatically vadjust its position in its supporting bearing to the directionof pull of the load line, thus to avoid the chang of the cables on the sides of the fairleader housing.

To impart a better understanding of the advantages of the present invention, 'it will here be explained that it has become a practise in the sugar vcane growing industry, to vcut the cane stocks and deposit them in windrows or piles across `the elds. The cut material is then loaded onto carts for transportation to places of use. Loading is accomplished by means of large grapples suspended from booms mounted on tractors of the crawler track types. It is a general practise to advance the tractor between two windrows and load from each side. As a load is lifted by the grapple, the boom is swung to a'position over the cart and the load released. Then the boom is swung vback Vfor-'another load while the load line and closing line are being paid out. -Theswinging of the boom from side to side, and the almost continuous running of the lines results in excessive wear thereon by reason of their rubbing on the side walls ofthe iairleader housing.

Present day fairleaders as used on suchboorns are Aiix'ed in position as distinguished from being of the automatically aligning type. Furthermore, where two lines have been used, they have been passed over sheave wheels set in the housing side by side and on the same axis. Therefore, the cables because of their closeness to each other are subjected to unusual chang one on the other, as Well as on the housing walls. This damage to or wear on lines or cables used as above disclosed in non-adjustable housings, cannot be overcome except by slowing down the operation, and paying out or drawing in the cables only while the boom is at rest.

In view of the above explanatory matter, it has been the principal object of this invention to provide afairleader of novel form, designed for the use therewith of two lines or cables, and having the cable guide sheaves in tandem and so arranged in the housing that the weight applied to the load line will effect and maintain an automatic alignment of the fairleader housing with the direction of pull of the load supporting cable and thus avoid chaing of the cables on the housing walls and also prevent chaiing byrubbing on each other.

Specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provision of a fairleader housing with a tubular mounting stem, rotatably conm tained in a supporting bearing and providing for passage of two cables through the steam and housing; and vthere being cable guide sheaves in the housings so related to the turning axis of the housing that the housing will be automatically adjusted to the'direction of pull of the load suspending line or cable.

Further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of parts, and in their relationship and mode of use, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects oi the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction the preferred forms of which are Villustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- 'Fig 1 is aside veiw of a fairleader embodying the improvements `of the present invention therein.

Fig. 2 is a'front end elevation of the same, in.- dicating in dotted lines Vthe lateral turning of the housing in accordance with change in direction of the load line.

Fig. 3 is across-section taken on line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Referring morein-detail to the drawings- Itis anticipated that a fairleader of the present kind shall be used at the'outer ends of a boom mounted'on a mobile vehicle such as, for exam ple, a tractor of crawler track type. Also that the booms be so mounted that it can be swung from side to side on the tractor. The specic form or construction of the boom and the means by which the fairleader is secured thereon forms no particular part of the present invention. However, in Fig. 1 I have indicated the outer end portion of the boom by reference numeral i0 and have shown my present preferred means for and method of securing the fairleader thereto.

The fairleader of the present invention comprises a housing, designated in its entirety by reference numeral I2, formed at one end with a cylindrical mounting stem, or hub I3 that is shown to be integrally cast with the housing, The housing comprises opposite side walls l4-l4, that are rigidly joined in spaced rela tionship along their top edges by a web or wall l5 preferably welded thereto.

The cylindrical stem portion I3 of the housing is coaxially disposed and rotatably mounted within a supporting bearing I8 of tubular, or cylindrical form. Antifriction bearings may be em ployed between the parts if so desired. I have shown the outer end of the part I3 to be tted with a collar I9 secured by welding 2Q, securing the housing yet providing a free swiveling action about the axial line of the stem.

The tubular bearing I8 is formed at one end with an encircling flange 22 and this is rigidly secured by bolts 23, or otherwise fixedly secured to the boom end plate 24. The arrangement or" the bearing I8 on the boom is such that operating lines or cables passing outwardly along the boom from its mounting end can be extended substantially in parallel relationship, as seen in Fig. 1, through the tubular mounting stem i3 of the housing, for guided travel over flanged guidm ing sheaves located between the side walls of the housing in the tandem arrangement indicated.

In the present arrangement, I employ a load carrying line 25 and a closing line 25. The cable 25 passes through the tubular stem parallel with its axial line, but downwardly offset therefrom, and then passes over and downwardly from a supporting sheave wheel 21 that is revoluble on a supporting pin or shaft 28 that is extended through the opposite side walls of the housing. The closing line 25 extends through the tubular stem I 3 substantially coincident with its axial line, and beyond the wheel 27, and passes over and downwardly from a sheave wheel 3@ sup ported between the side walls of the housing on. a pin or shaft 32. The outer end of cable 25 will be connected in the usual way to the grapple, bucket or other device used. The closing line 2E, likewise, would be connected to the grapple for opening or closing it in the usual way. The cables extend along the boom from suitable cable winding drums or winches on the tractor.

It is a feature of this invention that the axis of the sheave wheel 27 is offset substantially below l the axial line of the supporting stem i3 of the housing. Therefore, a load as suspended by the cable 25 from the housing will cause the latter to automatically rotatably adjust itself in the bearing iii to maintain its alignment with the load line. The closing line, being connected with the grapple or load, will move therewith and thus will be caused to maintain a relationship to the housing corresponding to that of the load line.

With the parts so arranged, it is readily apparent that when a bucket, grapple or other similar device, is suspended from a boom and utilizes two lines passing through the fairleader housing as herein shown, the swinging of the load from side to side coincident with the paying out or hauling in of the cables will not result in chang o1" the cables. This is by reason of the fact that the housing turns on its axis and automatically maintains alignment with the load cable. Actual test over a considerable period of time has proven that wear on cables from this cause is practically eliminated.

The present arrangement of lines as passing from the housing avoids chang on each other. Operating speed can be increased and lines may be paid out or drawn in while the boom is being swung from side to side, with no detrimental eects on the lines.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A loading boom equipped at its outer end with a fairleader including a housing having a tubular mounting hub extending longitudinally from its inner end and said boom having at its outer end a tubular bearing mounting said hub for axial oscillation, the housing comprising oppositely disposed spaced side walls, two sheave wheels on the housing between the side walls thereof disposed one in advance of the other in a longitudinally extending central vertical plane common to the axis of the mounting hub and said housing, supporting axles for said sheaves mounted on the housing below the level of the longitudinally extending axial line of the mounting hub, and two cables each extending along the boom and through said hub and over one of said sheave wheels, said sheave wheels supporting the cables spaced from each other and in spaced relation with the mounting hub and the side walls of the housing.

2. The construction recited in claim 1 and wherein one of said sheave wheels has its top peripheral portion disposed to support the cable associated therewith to extend through the mounting hub to said sheave wheel along the axial line `of the mounting hub, the other sheave Wheel having its top peripheral portion disposed to support the other cable to extend through the mounting hub to said sheave wheel in a line below and substantially parallel with the axial line of the mounting hub.

MARC D TROYER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 281,844 Cuyle July 24, 1883 517,318 Wellens Mar. 2'?, 1894 1,248,600 Bathrick Dec. 4, 191'? 1,431,090 Beckwith Oct. 3, 1922 1,657,187 Whittlesey Jan. 24, 1928 1,805,800 Berger May 19, 1931 2,168,463 Wunsch Aug. 8, 1939 

